Thursday, February 10, 2011

Frederic Malle - Lipstick Rose

Glamour Puss

Lipstick Rose is a perfume that grew on me. In 2008, while I was visiting England, I took the opportunity to do some perfume shopping. Being a budding perfumista, I wanted to smell perfumes that I had read about, but didn't have access to in Toronto. The friendly SA at Liberty pulled out the entire Frederic Malle line for me and I spent a long time sniffing through each perfume. I was determined to make a purchase of something that I couldn't get back home, and I wanted it to be an "important" perfume, something that would be remembered. I settled on Lipstick Rose. It was so different that anything else. It was unique and strong-willed and very glamourous.

Later, back in my hotel room, I was already having second thoughts. At the time, my favourite perfume notes were amber, spices and woods, but definitely not flowers like roses and violets. Also, unique and strong-willed I may be, but glamourous? No. I felt somehow unable to live up to Lipstick Rose. Now, years later, I've come back around to loving flowers, especially roses, and Lipstick Rose has moved back to the front of the cabinet.

Lipstick Rose is deceptively simple and linear. It's a combination of rich red roses and fruity purple violets, with a base of vanilla-amber and musk. But it has hidden depths. I find interesting dualities in Lipstick Rose. Roses are luscious, grown-up and romantic flowers, while violets are sweet, girly and demure.

The rose-violet combination in Lipstick Rose smells uncannily like thick, creamy lipstick, maybe something from Chanel and there is a powdery quality to it, like fine face powders. But although makeup is definitely inedible, Lipstick Rose also has an edible, gourmand side to it. The fruity violet ionones are berry-like, and the vanilla in the base makes me think of cookies and marzipan.

Lipstick Rose is also simultaneously old-fashioned and aggressively modern. Roses and violets may be "old-lady" notes, but the perfume is modern in the way it's composed. Spray on Lipstick Rose and you won't picture an old lady. It's a perfume for Dita Von Teese, putting on makeup at her dressing table and lacing up a corset. Maybe I don't have to live up to that. Maybe it's enough that I get to live in it for a while.

I love the entire Malle line, I own many, but Lipstick Rose always fell through the grid in favor of something else. Now that there are not many Malles left for me to explore, it seems the time has come for Lipstick Rose. Your lovely review is the last straw I needed. :)

Ha! You beat NowSmellThis to this by one day! :) I was having a conversation about this scent w/ a coworker this week, trying to explain to her how curiously edible I always found the scent of lipstick to be, and how perfectly it matched the soft, lip-like texture of rose petals. The two belong together. :)

I understand that "second thoughts" feeling! Perfume buyer's remorse feels awful, like a combination of guilt, shame and loss of identity. Perhaps it's not quite that dramatic for everyone, but those feelings have hit me.

I'm happy to hear Lipstick Rose has made it to the front of your cabinet!

I'm going to have to re-try this one - when I first tried it, it reminded me of my mother on Sundays - lipstick, makeup and cigarettes. WHICH is not a bad thing, but I was at the time looking for a rose scent that reminded me of my non-smoking proper great grandmother! thanks for nudging me